Torsion bar hold-open hinge

ABSTRACT

The torsion bar on the body half of the hinge has a fluted roller rotatably mounted on and movable with one end of it in lieu of the usual arrangement of two such rollers mounted in spaced relation on the door half with rivets and spring washers. This permits using two shouldered pins riveted on a flange on the door half and spaced more or less to meet each customer&#39;&#39;s special requirements and serving as the means for actuating the aforesaid single roller to hold the door open in predetermined positions. The fluted roller has a concentric cylindrical shank portion against which a tab on the body half bears under spring loading of the torsion bar to hold the roller against turning except upon rolling contact with the striker pins. Since the fluted roller is always held against turning except during rolling contact with the pins when the shank of the roller is moved clear of the tab it is always assured of proper orientation with the respective pins, which is important because the pins have to register properly with the troughs in the flutes for correct hold-open operation in each open position of the door. The roller has a blind hole to receive the one end of the torsion bar limiting endwise movement of the roller in one direction while a horizontal surface on a flange on the door half has abutment with the flat top surface on the roller to retain it against endwise movement in the other direction, the torsion bar in turn being retained in assembled position on the body half by a flattened portion on the opposite end of the bar.

United States Patent 1 Marchione 1 TORSION BAR HOLD-OPEN HINGE [75] Inventor: Joseph H. Marchione, Rockford, Ill.

[73] 'AssFgEe: AKvBaTvacunn"mazna can pany, Rockford, Ill.

[22] Filed: Mar. 13, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 233,974

[52] US. Cl. ..16/145, 16/82, 16/85 [51] Int. Cl. ..E05d 11/10 [58] Field of Search ..l6/l42, 145, 85, 16/82 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,550,185 12/1970 Marchione ..l6/l45 3,370,317 2/1968 Marchione ..l6/l45 3,371,374 3/1968 Marchione ..l6/145 3,408,684 1l/1968 Marchione ..16/145 3,434,179 3/1969 Marchione ..1..l6/l45 3,431,588 3/1969 Frey 1 1 ..16/145 3,431,589 3/1969 Frey ..l6/145 3,381,332 5/1968 Jerila et al. .....l6/145 X 3,438,083 4/1969 Kirk ..16/145 X Primary ExaminerBernard A. Gelak Assistant Examiner-Peter A. Aschenbrenner AttorneyAndrew F. Wintercorn 5 7 ABSTRACT The torsion bar on the body half of the hinge has a 51 May 1,1973

fluted roller rotatably mounted on and movable with one end of it in lieu of the usual arrangement of two such rollers mounted in spaced relation on the door half with rivets and spring washers. This permits using two shouldered pins riveted on a flange on the door half and spaced more or less to meet each customers special requirements and serving as the means for actuating the aforesaid single roller to hold the door open in predetermined positions. The fluted roller has a concentric cylindrical shank portion against which a tab on the body half bears under spring loading of the torsion bar to hold the roller against turning except upon rolling contact with the striker pins. Since the fluted roller is always held against turning except during rolling contact with the pins when the shank of the roller is moved clear of the tab it is always assured of proper orientation with the respective pins, which is important because the pins have to register properly with the troughs in the flutes for correct hold-open operation in each open position of the door. The roller has a blind hole to receive the one end of the torsion bar limiting endwise movement of the roller in one direction while a horizontal surface on a flange on the door half has abutment with the flat top surface on the roller to retain it against endwise movement in the other direction, the torsion bar in turn being retained in assembled position on the body half by a flattened portion on the opposite end of the bar.

13 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures Patented May 1, 1973 3,129,772

2 Sheets-Sheet l Patentd May 1, 1973 3,729,172

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 TORSION BAR HOLD-OPEN HINGE This invention relates to improvements in automobile door hinges and more particularly improvements on the constructions of my US. Pat. Nos. 3,370,317; 3,371,374; and 3,550,185.

In the previous patents mentioned the fluted rollers were mounted on the door half of the hinge in a predetermined fixed spaced relationship with rivets and spring washers and were arranged to cooperate with one end of the torsion bar in partially open and fully opened positions of the door as the end of the torsion bar engaged in the flutes of the rollers in the two positions of the door mentioned. The objection to that arrangement was that the hinge manufacturer found it more difficult to adapt the hinge to the special requirements of each customer, whereas when a single roller is mounted on the springable end of the torsion bar on the body half of the hinge and is suitably held frictionally against turning except upon contact with spaced striker pins mounted on a flange on the door half of the hinge at the locations selected to meet the customers requirements, it is a simple matter with a single hinge of low cost construction to meet all of the different requirements of a number of customers by simply spotting the striker pins differently along the flange on the door half of the hinge where they will serve each customers specific requirements. In other words, a single fluted roller performs the same function as two (or more) fluted rollers in the earlier constructions, with the added advantage that with only a slight change in location of the striker pins, which presents no problems, one hinge construction meets all requirements.

Another object of the invention is to utilize in lieu of the rivets and spring washers previously employed for holding the fluted rollers against turning out of proper position between hold-open operations, spring loading of the torsion bar to hold the single fluted roller against turning out of position by bearing engagement on a smooth cylindrical shank portion of the roller of a tab provided on the body half of the hinge, thus eliminating any likelihood of the fluted roller turning out of proper register with either of the two rivet pins between the hold-open operations, the roller in rolling on the pins being automatically moved clear of the tab so as to turn freely when that is advantageous.

Another object is to simplify the construction further and reduce manufacturing costs by providing a blind hole in the single fluted roller to receive one end of the torsion bar with freedom for rotation with respect thereto except as frictionally resisted by bearing engagement of the afore-said tab on the smooth shank portion of the roller, thus holding the roller against endwise movement in one direction, while the flat top surface on the roller by slidable engagement with the bottom of the pin carrying flange on the door half of the hinge prevents endwise movement of the roller in the other direction, keeping the roller properly assembled on the torsion bar, movement of the torsion bar endwise from assembled position being prevented by engagement of a flattened portion on the opposite end of the bar on the body half of the hinge.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a cage type hinge embodying the improvements of my invention, the parts being shown in what corresponds to the closed position of the automobile door;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing the door half of the hinge in both a mid-open and fully opened position of the door to illustrate the operation;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the fluted roller shown by itself, and

FIGS. 6 and 7 are end views of the roller taken from opposite ends, FIG. 6 illustrating a lubrication hole in the blind end of the roller as one option for lubrication purposes, and FIG. 7 showing diametrically opposed lubricant retaining groves provided in the bore of the roller as another alternative for lubrication purposes.

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughout the views.

Referring to the drawings, and at first mainly to FIGS. 1 to 4, the reference numeral 11 designates the outer or door half of a cage type hinge to which the inner or body half 12 is pivotally connected by means of a pintle 13. The hinge members 11 and 12 are both of stamped sheet-metal construction, member 11 having bolt holes 14 provided therein for reception of bolts for fastening it to a door and member 12 having bolt holes 15 provided therein for reception of bolts to fasten it to the body. Both hinge members are generally channel shaped, the door member 11 having the horizontal bottom wall extension or flange 16 in which holes 17 can be provided in differently spaced relationship in an arc relative to pintle 13 as a center to meet different specific requirements for different customers as to the spacing of the shouldered striker pins 18, which have their reduced concentric end portions entered with a tight fit in the holes 17 and staked or riveted, as indicated at 19. These striker pins 18 are adapted to fit in the troughs of the longitudinal arcuate flutes in a single fluted roller 20 that is rotatably mounted on the cylindrical upwardly bent detent end portion 21 of the lower radius arm 22 of a metallic torsion bar 23 mounted in preloaded condition on the body half 12 of the hinge. The bar 23 rests in a notch 24 in the upper flange of the body half 12 and another notch 26 provided in the edge of a lug 27 that is struck out of the body of the hinge member 12 intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof, the torsion bar 23 having an upper radius arm 28 that is bent downwardly and has a flat 29 on one side of its end, which, by abutment with a lug 30 on the end of the flange 25, holds the torsion bar 23 against endwise movement in caged relationship to the hinge member 12 with the movable detent end portion 21 holding the reduced cylindrical end portion 31 of the fluted roller 20 in spring-pressed engagement with a tab or lug 32 on member 12 to hold the roller 20 against turning from properly oriented position relative to either of the pins 18 between holdopen positions of the door, a portion of which appears at 33 in FIGS. 3 and 4. At 34 in those two figures is also indicated a portion of the body on which hinge member 12 is mounted. When the fluted roller 20 is in the process of having rolling contact with either of the pins 18 in the hold-open operations, the detent end portion 21 of the torsion bar 23 is flexed away from the tab 32 a few thousandths of an inch so that there is no frictional drag on the turning of the roller 20 during this rolling action, but just as soon as the roller 20 passes the deadcenter position with respect to either of the pins 18, as shown, for example, in FIG. 4, the shank portion 31 of the roller 20 returns to spring pressed engagement with the tab 32 to assist in holding the door in the fully opened position. The same is true, of course, in the rolling engagement of the roller with the with other pin 18 in the mid-open position, shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4. In the fully opened position, a lug 35 struck upwardly from a portion of the lower flange 16 on the door half 11 serves as a positive stop by coming into contact with the edge of a portion of the lower flange 36 of hinge member 12.

The operation should be clear from the foregoing description, namely, there is in this hinge only a single fluted roller 20 mounted on and movable with one end 21 of the torsion bar 23, in lieu of the usual arrangement of two (or more) such rollers mounted in spaced parallel relationship on the door half of the hinge using rivets and spring washers for their mounting, and the present construction has two (or more) shouldered striker pins 18 riveted on the flange 16 on the door half 11 and spaced more or less to meeteach customer's specific requirements as to intermediate open and fully opened positions of the door, these two pins serving as the means for actuating the single detent roller 20 to hold the door open in the predetermined desired positions. The fluted roller 20, due to its concentric reduced cylindrical shank portion 31 being held under spring tension against the tab 32, using the pre-load torsion of the bar 23 to provide the spring pressure, is held against turning except only during rolling contact with the pins 18, and since the fluted roller is always held against turning except during rolling contact with the pins 18 when the shank portion 31 of the roller 20 is moved clear of the tab 32, the roller is always assured of proper orientation with respect to the pins 18, that being important because the pins have to fit properly in the troughs of the flutes for correct holdopen action in each hold-open position of the door. Hence, this single fluted roller performs the same function as two or even more fluted rollers in the earlier constructions, with the added advantage that with only a slight change in location of the holes 17 in the flange 16, which presents no problem, if course, one hinge construction meets all customers requirements.

The roller 20 has a blind hole 37 to receive the end portion 21 of the torsion bar 23 with an easy working fit. The end wall 38 may have a center hole 39 provided there, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, for lubrication purposes, or the hole 37 may be provided with longitudinally extending lubricant retaining grooves 40 on diametrically opposite sides, as shown in FIG. 7, or both options may be used. The roller 20, incidentally, is preferably, although not necessarily, of sintered iron. The flat bottom surface 41 on the pin carrying flange 16 bears against the flat top 42 of the roller 20 and accordingly serves to retain the roller against endwise displacement from the vertical end portion 21 of the torsion bar and, of course, the end wall 38 at the end of the blind hole 37 of roller 20 prevents endwise movement of the roller in the other direction, thereby keeping the roller caged in assembled position, and, as was pointed out before, the flat end portion 29 on the other end of the torsion bar 20 holds it against endwise movement and retains it in assembled position on the body half of the hinge.

In assembling the hinge, the torsion bar 23 is first assembled on the body member 12 in preloaded condition with the roller 20 assembled on the end portion 21 and having its cylindrical shank portion 31 pressed against the tab 32. Then the door half 11 of the hinge is assembled on the body half 12 and pintle 13 is driven into place through the registering holes in the cooperating knuckle portions of the two hinge members, the pins 18 having, of course, been previously assembled on the flange 16 in the correct spaced relationship to one another.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of the objects and advantages of my invention. While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, this is only for the purpose of illustration, and it is to be understood that various modifications in structure will occur to a person skilled in this art.

I claim:

1. In a hinge comprising a pair of hinge members pivotally connected by a pintle, one of which members is adapted to be secured to a body and the other to a door swingable to and from an open position relative to the body, the improvement consisting in the provision of an elongated torsion bar mounted on one of said members with a preload spring tension therein, the bar having radius arms on opposite ends, the first of which radius arms has a detent end portion on its outer end and the other having an anchor end portion on its outer end, the detent end portion being movable in an arc relative to said torsion bar by deflection of said first radius arm in a direction to increase spring tension in said bar, a roller rotatably mounted on the end of said detent end portion, and a plurality of strikers spaced in a predetermined manner in an arc relative to said pintle on the other of said hinge members so as to have abutment and rolling contact with said roller in door opening movement to deflect said first radius arm to increase spring tension in said torsion bar above preload spring tension for a hold-open action.

2. A hinge structure as set forth in claim 1 including stop means for positively limiting door opening movement in fully opened position.

3. A hinge structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the roller is fluted and the strikers are generally cylindrical pins adapted each to fit in the troughs of the flutes in rolling action of said roller on said pins.

4. A hinge structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the roller is fluted and the strikers are generally cylindrical pins adapted each to fit in the troughs of the flutes in rolling action of said roller on said pins, said fluted roller having a concentric reduced cylindrical shank portion which, when the roller is not engaging one of said pins, is spring pressed by the torsion action of said torsion bar into frictional engagement with a surface in a fixed predetermined spaced relationship to said detent end portion of said torsion bar.

5. A hinge structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the roller is fluted and the strikers are generally cylindrical pins adapted each to fit in the troughs of the flutes in rolling action of said roller on said pins, said fluted roller having a concentric reduced cylindrical shank portion which, when the roller is not engaging one of said pins, is spring pressed by the torsion action of said torsion bar into frictional engagement with a surface in a fixed predetermined spaced relationship to said detent end portion of said torsion bar, the latter spacing being such that the shank portion of said roller is moved clear of the surface mentioned in the rolling of the fluted roller on either one of said pins so as to avoid frictional drag during the rolling action and yet have the hold on the roller help to hold the door in a given open position.

6. A hinge structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the roller having a blind hole provided therein to receive the end of the detent end portion of said torsion bar whereby to limit endwise movement of said roller in one direction from assembled position, and the hinge member carrying the strikers having a flat surface engaging the outer end of the roller to prevent endwise displacement thereof from said detent end portion throughout the movement of said hinge members relative to one another in door opening and closing movements.

7. A hinge structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the roller having a blind hole provided therein to receive the end of the detent end portion of said torsion bar whereby to limit endwise movement of said roller in one direction from assembled position, and the hinge member carrying the strikers having a flat surface engaging the outer end of the roller to prevent endwise displacement thereof from said detent and portion throughout the movement of said hingemembers relative to one another in door opening and closing movements, there being means for holding said torsion bar against endwise movement relative to its supporting hinge member, whereby to keep said roller in operative relationship to the strikers and the other hinge member carrying the same.

8. A hinge structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the roller is fluted and the strikers are generally cylindrical pins adapted each to fit in the troughs of the flutes in rolling action of said roller on said pins, said pins having reduced concentric end portions received with a closed fit in holes provided in a flange on the other hinge member, the holes being located accordirig to the specific hold-open requirements of the hinge and being differently located to meet different hold-open requirements on different hinges, the extremities of the reduced end portions protruding from the holes and being upset to secure the pins permanently in place.

9. A hinge structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein the roller is fluted and has a concentric blind hole provided therein opening from one end to receive the end of the detent end portion of said torsion bar, said roller having a reduced cylindrical shank portion concentric therewith for rolling contact with said striker.

10. The structure as set forth in claim 9, wherein the fluted roller has a hole provided in the wall forming the closed end of the bore.

11. The structure set forth in claim 9, wherein the blind hole in said fluted roller has a longitudinally extending groove provided therein.

12. The structure set forth in claim 9, wherein the blind hole in said fluted roller has longitudinally extendingfirooves rovided therein.

13. e struc ure set forth in claim 9, wherein the blind hole in said fluted roller has longitudinally extending grooves provided therein in diametrically opposed relationship.

t it II 

1. In a hinge comprising a pair of hinge members pivotally connected by a pintle, one of which members is adapted to be secured to a body and the other to a door swingable to and from an open position relative to the body, the improvement consisting in the provision of an elongated torsion bar mounted on one of said members with a preload spring tension therein, the bar having radius arms on opposite ends, the first of which radius arms has a detent end portion on its outer end and the other having an anchor end portion on its outer end, the detent end portion being movable in an arc relative to said torsion bar by deflection of said first radius arm in a direction to increase spring tension in said bar, a roller rotatably mounted on the end of said detent end portion, and a plurality of strikers spaced in a predetermined manner in an arc relative to said pintle on the other of said hinge members so as to have abutment and rolling contact with said roller in door opening movement to deflect said first radius arm to increase spring tension in said torsion bar above preload spring tension for a hold-open action.
 2. A hinge structure as set forth in claim 1 including stop means for positively limiting door opening movement in fully opened position.
 3. A hinge structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the roller is fluted and the strikers are generally cylindrical pins adapted each to fit in the troughs of the flutes in rolling action of said roller on said pins.
 4. A hinge structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the roller is fluted and the strikers are generally cylindrical pins adapted each to fit in the troughs of the flutes in rolling action of said roller on said pins, said fluted roller having a concentric reduced cylindrical shank portion which, when the roller is not engaging one of said pins, is spring pressed by the torsion action of said torsion bar into frictional engagement with a surface in a fixed predetermined spaced relationship to said detent end portion of said torsion bar.
 5. A hinge structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the roller is fluted and the strikers are generally cylindrical pins adapted each to fit in the troughs of the flutes in rolling action of said roller on said pins, said fluted roller having a concentric reduced cylindrical shank portion which, when the roller is not engaging one of said pins, is spring pressed by the torsion action of said torsion bar into frictional engagement with a surface in a fixed predetermined spaced rElationship to said detent end portion of said torsion bar, the latter spacing being such that the shank portion of said roller is moved clear of the surface mentioned in the rolling of the fluted roller on either one of said pins so as to avoid frictional drag during the rolling action and yet have the hold on the roller help to hold the door in a given open position.
 6. A hinge structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the roller having a blind hole provided therein to receive the end of the detent end portion of said torsion bar whereby to limit endwise movement of said roller in one direction from assembled position, and the hinge member carrying the strikers having a flat surface engaging the outer end of the roller to prevent endwise displacement thereof from said detent end portion throughout the movement of said hinge members relative to one another in door opening and closing movements.
 7. A hinge structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the roller having a blind hole provided therein to receive the end of the detent end portion of said torsion bar whereby to limit endwise movement of said roller in one direction from assembled position, and the hinge member carrying the strikers having a flat surface engaging the outer end of the roller to prevent endwise displacement thereof from said detent and portion throughout the movement of said hinge members relative to one another in door opening and closing movements, there being means for holding said torsion bar against endwise movement relative to its supporting hinge member, whereby to keep said roller in operative relationship to the strikers and the other hinge member carrying the same.
 8. A hinge structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the roller is fluted and the strikers are generally cylindrical pins adapted each to fit in the troughs of the flutes in rolling action of said roller on said pins, said pins having reduced concentric end portions received with a closed fit in holes provided in a flange on the other hinge member, the holes being located according to the specific hold-open requirements of the hinge and being differently located to meet different hold-open requirements on different hinges, the extremities of the reduced end portions protruding from the holes and being upset to secure the pins permanently in place.
 9. A hinge structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein the roller is fluted and has a concentric blind hole provided therein opening from one end to receive the end of the detent end portion of said torsion bar, said roller having a reduced cylindrical shank portion concentric therewith for rolling contact with said striker.
 10. The structure as set forth in claim 9, wherein the fluted roller has a hole provided in the wall forming the closed end of the bore.
 11. The structure set forth in claim 9, wherein the blind hole in said fluted roller has a longitudinally extending groove provided therein.
 12. The structure set forth in claim 9, wherein the blind hole in said fluted roller has longitudinally extending grooves provided therein.
 13. The structure set forth in claim 9, wherein the blind hole in said fluted roller has longitudinally extending grooves provided therein in diametrically opposed relationship. 